Should I buy paint protection for my new car?

Purchased a new car now looking for paint protection in Melbourne?

Hello my name is George from Melbourne mobile detailing and after many years of specializing in aftermarket car paint protection and answering many questions on the topic I have decided to write up a little blog of the most common questions I get asked virtually every second day

I’m so confused.. Should I get paint protection and what’s the difference from all of the ones available?

Hard to believe but hundreds of cars, trucks and marine equipment are sold and delivered across Melbourne each and every week. During the purchasing and waiting for delivery process, prospective buyers and recipients of their new cars often are presented with some dilemmas and questions:

Some of these questions are as follows and we have tried to answer them the most honest and best way we could

Paint protection is a loosely defined term that can easily be misused. Technically any sort of wax, sealant or spray that provides even a minor enhancement and minimal protection from the elements can be classed as a paint protection. This creates genuine confusion to the unknown and the more you inquire, the more it can get confusing and daunting offering misinterpreted idea of what paint protection really is.

Genuine ceramic protection is what professional detailers refer to as paint protection. Once the paint work has been decontaminated and corrected only then is when these high grade products can be applied offering a superficial layer that’s resistance to acid and alkaline attacks, water repellent, self cleaning and extremely scratch resistant. The advancing technology in this area has seen many great improvements in recent years and it just seems to be getting better each and every year

Q – “Should I get Paint Protection for the car? And if I do, which product do I choose? where do I find it? Who can I trust to install it properly? Should I consider the dealerships protection packages? There are so many options, where do I find the right answers?”

New car owners often get no information regarding the product to be applied on their cars or they find themselves bombarded by various paint protection options with too much information and having to filter through the various claims, we’ve decided to try and help by providing some information and removing some of the hype and myths along the way.

For many people we believe the words paint protection, teflon, ceramic, nano, diamond infused or coating is completely foreign and has little to no meaning. The dealership will be offering their own products meanwhile many paint protection specialists around Melbourne use a variety of products and each will believe theirs is the best and for various reasons. After a few phone calls or online inquiries you will have a handful of information to filter through and this can be extremely overwhelming

Please keep in mind that not all products are the same and every product out there has its pro’s and con’s. In order to understand the depth of this topic lets break it down to 2 easy methods of approach PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene, a synthetic sealant or in lamens terms Teflon or wax) and Glass, Quartz, Ceramics AKA coatings (Generally made up of nano particles derived from SIO2 Silica).

In Melbourne, majority of dealerships and possibly many car cleaners and detailers are using what we call (Synthetic Sealants) PTFE as their form of paint protection as it is cheap, quick and easy to use and looks great with a durability of a few months. Find out more about Synthetic Sealants, PTFE, Teflon paint protection here

Most synthetic sealants will be labelled with keywords like ‘PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) or polymer (resin compounds)’ and these are very important when it comes down to knowing, what type of protection is expected and longevity that can be offered by these products. Synthetic sealants and polymers are fantastic at what they were designed to do with the expectation to resist environmental elements for around 6-9 months. A fantastic improvement compared to waxes which can last anywhere from a few weeks to 3 months although just like waxes, these sealants and polymers are not resistant to chemical etching, salt water, UV light and offer very little resistance to scratching and marring of the paint work. Ahead of its time and great when first released but sadly this technology is outdated and still used by many people in the aftermarket paint protection industry

Just like every important aspect in life, always be sure to read the fine print as many of these warranties will have conditions like – The use of our own branded car wash is required, vehicle must be maintained on a regular basis, yearly reapplication or inspection is required and the list goes on, any clauses in these warranties are so broad and virtually offer no warranty or peace of mind to the consumer but it is more about protecting the product brand and the manufacturer. Please note it’s very important to realize that the lifetime warranty does not in any shape or fashion correlate to the lifespan of the product. These are two very different categories. If the product does not last longer than 3-5 years, it will likely require reapplication annually.

Potential buyers receiving this style of product should question the warranty and the product heavily. In simple terms “stay away from a PTFE or sealant that offers a lifetime warranty”

The solution to the unrealistic lifespan of synthetic sealants has come in the form of what we know them of as “coatings” and can be made up of different technologies including – liquid glass, SiO2, ceramic and quartz. Don’t loose track and start getting confused, they are all very similar with subtle differences and offer slight advantages to each other regardless of branding or labels. Most popular brands are fantastic and are superior in all forms versus the synthetic sealants being offered as a DIY paint protection.

There is also a handful of lesser known coatings available as well which are fantastic at what they do and offer a realistic approach and warranty terms compared to some over hyped popular brands out there

Q – “Do I really need paint protection?”

A high quality aftermarket ceramic paint protection applied by a professional detailer is a great investment. New age paint is thinner and less resistant to damage than ever before and I personally believe it is necessary to have a superficial layer offering protection to the elements and keeping your car cleaning for longer.

Q – “Paint protection is a scam, you don’t need it, if it was so important then why don’t car manufactures have it applied before they deliver the car?”

The paint protection market is lucrative industry for manufactures and suppliers. Whenever there is a market where people get easily confused and do not fully understand the product, you will find what I call “sharks” in other words “scammers”.

As mentioned above the paint protection industry is full of hype and marketing claims that simply aren’t true. From lifetime warranties on PTFE sealants to 99H nuclear resistant super tough and bullet proof coatings. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to read between the lines

A lifetime of protection or a coating that is resistant to bullets or bricks being thrown at it, surely the “BS” bell rings loudly here.

In truth car manufacturers are price conscious and already apply a sealant to the paint work prior to delivery. Ceramic coatings can be ultra expensive and simply put, having this applied on every delivered vehicle not only will be a very time consuming effort but will also blow the budget. So it is your responsibility on how you want to maintain your vehicle for the long term.

Overall there will always be conflicting information on car paint protection, but the simple truth is a high quality coating will really protect your car for 5 years plus depending on how you maintain and look after the coating itself. Nothing man made lasts a lifetime and paint protection is not exempt from this rule, coatings will go down their own path in life slowly and gradually deteriorating just like everything else around us does.

You should not buy a particular product based on its warranty but more look for results achieved and go with the one you like the most.

The actual benefits of a properly applied paint protection is simply awesome and it’s a shame the market has been saturated with ridiculous claims that have done no one any good other then tarnish the industry and led people to believe it is just another over exaggerated hype that will eventually disappear .

So why would anyone consider a protective coating and what really are the benefits for your car?

You’re probably aware of the risks of leaving bird and bat droppings on your paint. Factory paint is actually weak at resisting chemical attacks from bird droppings, bat droppings, bug splatter and acid rain. A ceramic paint protection is much better at protecting against these attacks and can save you thousands in repainting costs in the future.

Ease of vehicle upkeep, self cleaning effects and less time spent cleaning

Factory paint on new cars can quickly become flat and attract dirt once the protective layer dissipates, this can be either a cheap simple wax or sealant. A ceramic coating will not simply fall off after a few months and actually adds a barrier that repels dirt, water and road grime sticking to the surface of your car thus helping the vehicle stay clean longer. Keep in mind another great advantage of a ceramic barrier it helps reduce the friction between dirt and the paint not only offering a cleaner surface for longer but a greatly reduced chance of scratches (aka swirl marks) and micro marring from any future washing processes.

In conclusion and to recap on everything mentioned above

Car paint protection has found itself under the spotlight time and time again, with as much good publicity as bad. I frequently hear horror stories from customers that purchased the product that offered them the world and was a few hundred dollars cheaper, after only a few short months the paint looks flat and the water behaviour isn’t beading at all. The story often starts with an attractive after sales agent right after the handshake of a new car or searching for an aftermarket paint protection product that is cheaper and offering the world of benefits.

The sad reality is paint protection isn’t made equal and although they technically added a layer of “protection”, that layer can either be an easy-to-apply synthetic wax that provides as much protection as a decent bottle of wax found on the shelves of your local auto store or it could be a ceramic coating which will offer you years of protection. The end choice is yours to make and an educated decision is what you really want to make

Regardless if you are buying a new Porsche worth over $250,000 or a Kia valued at $20,000 the protection doesn’t discriminate and offers the same benefit to either vehicle.

Please note I’m not suggesting that all dealerships or car cleaners are slapping on a coat of the finest turtle wax on your car and charging you thousands for the privilege. I personally cover a lot of training and offer aftermarket support to many dealerships around Melbourne who choose to not simply apply a wax or sealant but actually want to offer a proper coating to their clients

Melbourne Mobile Detailing is endlessly trying out new products and proven to be at the forefront of nano ceramic paint protection in Melbourne offering only the highest grade of products. We choose to offer these products not just because of the high grade of chemicals they offer but also because the Australian distributors stand behind their product range 100% and won’t look for excuses every time there might be an issue. What this means to the consumer is that we can offer them what we believe is the highest grade of protection with outstanding after care support and knowing that if there ever is an issue that we are all in it together to find the cause, rectify the situation and brainstorm on how we can stop this issue from happening again in the future

For more great write ups or honest down to earth advice feel free to contact myself directly George 0421943227 or email us at [email protected]

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Author: Melbourne Mobile Detailing

Owner and operator of Melbourne Mobile Detailing (MMD) in Melbourne for 9 years and since then MMD has grown large enough with a huge customer base to cover many other detailers in Melbourne and surrounding suburbs dealing with paint protection, odour removal, sticker removal, car detailing, truck cleaning, boat/marine cleaning and aviation detailing in and around Melbourne View all posts by Melbourne Mobile Detailing